Staphylococcus cornubiensis is a species of Gram-positive, coagulase-positive, coccus-shaped bacteria belonging to the Staphylococcus intermedius Group (SIG), a cluster of genetically and phenotypically similar bacterial species that were previously identified collectively as S. intermedius.
Discovery and Naming
The species was first described in a 2018 paper published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology by Murray et al. The bacterium was isolated from a skin infection (cellulitis) in a 64-year-old man in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The species name cornubiensis is derived from Cornubia, the medieval Latin name for Cornwall, reflecting the geographic origin of the type strain.
The type strain is designated NW1T (= NCTC 13950T = DSM 105366T).
Taxonomy and Characteristics
S. cornubiensis is a member of the Staphylococcus intermedius Group (SIG), which also includes S. intermedius, S. pseudintermedius, and S. delphini. It is phenotypically similar to S. pseudintermedius but is genomically distinct, with an average nucleotide identity of 90.2% with its closest relative, S. intermedius. The species was distinguished from other SIG members through differences in the sodA and hsp60 gene sequences.
Clinical Significance
The bacterium was first isolated from a human skin infection. However, its presence in other species or its association with other pathologies has yet to be extensively discussed in the literature. Other SIG species, particularly S. pseudintermedius, have been implicated in cutaneous infections in humans, often as a result of zoonotic transmission from domestic animals such as dogs and cats. The other SIG species have been isolated from various wild and domestic animals, including dogs, cats, horses, camels, and dolphins.
